Updated: Aug. 20, 2015
Originally Published: Feb. 1, 2015
Last night, the Tooth Fairy failed to show up again, and this has become a recurring issue. My daughter, Emma, had been eagerly awaiting the loss of her loose bottom tooth for weeks. For nearly two weeks, she’d been wiggling it, pulling at it, and hoping to speed up the process. Finally, it happened while she was at school, and her excitement was palpable.
She proudly displayed her tiny tooth to everyone, pulling it from the special silk pouch I had given her to take to school just for this occasion. With her toothless grin, she demonstrated how she could sip through a straw with her teeth tightly shut. It was a moment to remember.
But the real thrill of the evening was preparing for the Tooth Fairy’s visit. We spent hours discussing the best spot for placing her tooth and how much the fairy typically pays for a front tooth. At bedtime, she carefully placed her little tooth atop a pink flower design on her bedsheet to ensure it was visible for the fairy, then drifted off to sleep with dreams of what might come.
Meanwhile, I collapsed into bed, utterly exhausted, and didn’t wake until 7:30 a.m. when Emma stood at the foot of my bed with a pouting face. “The Tooth Fairy didn’t come,” she stated, clearly upset.
My heart raced. “Wait, really? She didn’t?” I asked, panicking.
“No. (pause…angry stare) She didn’t.”
“That’s odd,” I replied, scrambling for a plausible excuse. “Maybe she was busy because a lot of kids lost teeth yesterday! She might be backed up. But I’m sure she’ll come tonight if we try again.” Although not fully convinced, Emma seemed willing to give it another shot.
On the second night, we placed the tooth once more, right against the flower pattern. Emma checked it several times before finally falling asleep. “Do you think she’ll come tonight?” she asked.
“Absolutely! She was just really busy,” I assured her.
The next morning, I woke to Emma tugging at my toe. Still groggy, I braced myself for what I knew was coming. “Mom! She didn’t come again!” Emma cried, holding out her tiny tooth, her face just shy of tears.
I couldn’t believe it—I forgot again! Two nights in a row! How could I let this happen? How could I forget to be the Tooth Fairy two consecutive times? I felt like I should be stripped of my parenting badge. This was unacceptable, and I felt terrible for my little girl.
I scrambled for creative explanations for the Tooth Fairy’s absence. “Maybe she got confused by the bunk beds?” I suggested. Or perhaps, “She was overwhelmed by all the teeth falling out recently.” My favorite excuse was, “I think I read online that our neighborhood has a new Tooth Fairy since ours got relocated. She’s just getting the hang of her job.” To my surprise, Emma seemed to accept this reasoning.
That night, we positioned the tooth even closer to the edge of her pillow, enhanced by a large note on the wall: “Dear Tooth Fairy—My tooth is right here!” with a big arrow pointing to her head. I assured her that there would be no confusion this time.
Throughout the evening, I repeated to myself, “Don’t forget the tooth. Don’t forget the tooth…” while clearing the table, cleaning the kitchen, and folding laundry.
Finally, as I prepared for bed, I rummaged through my wallet only to find no $1 bill. Instead, I discovered a $10 bill. While it was excessive for a front tooth, I decided the Tooth Fairy owed a late fee.
The next morning, Emma burst into my room, her face beaming as she waved the ten-dollar bill. “Mom! The Tooth Fairy came, and I got $10!”
“Wow, Emma! That’s amazing!” I sighed in relief. I had managed to fulfill my duty after all.
“Mom! Feel this!” she exclaimed, placing my finger in her mouth to check the wiggliness of yet another loose bottom tooth. This girl is going to be rolling in dough!
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Summary
In this humorous recount, a mother struggles to keep up with the Tooth Fairy duties, forgetting to exchange her daughter’s lost tooth for money two nights in a row. After crafting creative excuses to soothe her daughter, she finally succeeds with an oversized reward, realizing the challenges of parenting can be both stressful and comical.